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When a website isn’t producing the desired results, many busy professionals are quick to blame the look and feel of the site. It’s not attractive enough. It’s too plain. There’s no pizzazz. Looks matter, of course, but, as we all know, looks aren’t everything. You can add all the frosting you want, but when it comes to a website, it’s necessary to dig a little deeper for what really counts: content.

If your web content is lacking, repetitive, or failing to offer anything new from day to day or week to week, it’s not going to draw people in, keep visitors on the site, or get you those coveted conversions. (If at this point you’re thinking, “Wait… my web content should be changing?” then you need this kind of assistance first.)

Websites can have fancy graphics or a pleasing color scheme, but the #1 way to produce a better website for your business has nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with you, the business owner. Just how much of your hard-won knowledge are you willing to share?

You’re the Expert, So Own It

Business owners are what we like to call “subject matter experts.” You are the ultimate source, the one who knows exactly what your business is all about, whether you’re a dentist, attorney, hairstylist, or international trade manager. You know what your potential customers want to know about, you hear the same questions every day and field requests for certain information repeatedly. Those leads are what can inform the content on your website, whether it’s a blog post, ebook, testimonial, or instructional video.

If your website isn’t performing as well as it could, consider how much input you’ve had in the development of your site’s text. Certainly you’ve had your say about what goes where and you’ve given your web designer and copywriter the bullet points of what needs to be covered on your site, but that information is only the starting point. The relationship with your web developer should be ongoing – the more information you provide, the more that can be done to make your site into a high-traffic, Google-approved font of information.

Sharing the wealth of knowledge that you possess is, ultimately, the #1 way to produce a much better website.

Your potential customers and clients are coming to you as an expert. They want to learn something new or gain something from your business, and you can’t make any assumptions that other people know exactly what your business does or stands for.

Go Above and Beyond for the Sake of Your Business

If you’ve ever said about a page on your site, “That’s good enough,” then you can be sure it’s definitely not good enough. Why just be good enough when you can be great? Why say one thing when you can say three things that might convert more people into fans, customers, or clients?

Tell your web designer when you’re going to conference, what it’s about, and what kind of innovations are happening in your field. If there’s a topic you’d muse about on social media, it should be on your website too. Send along new studies or reports that you’re privy to that could inform your website offerings. Share. That’s it. Be forthcoming about yourself and your field. If a cosmetic dentist can rattle off 10 unexpected reasons why people drag their feet about getting their teeth whitened, that’s information that a developer can work with! If you can offer a thought-provoking point of view about a trending topic – from pop culture to serious news – that one comment can inform a slider or be the impetus for a targeted and timely blog post full of delicious keywords that Google loves.

Your expert input on services and products is essential. Sure, your developer can and will do research about your field and put together the basic information necessary to get the point across about your business to your audience, but it is clear when a website’s content has been given that extra bit of attention. A five-minute email sent once a week to your developer can be the key move that has you rising far above your competitors. Take time to thoughtfully answer questions that your web designer poses. Put in the effort and you will be rewarded.

Working with a web developer who doesn’t ask much of you? It’s time to consider a change. Contact Pistonbroke and we’ll give you your homework.